Handle mechanism



Oct. 22, 1940; JOHNSON 2,218,752

HANDLE MECHANISM I Filed April 6, 1940 INVENTOR BEN F. JOHNSON I BY WM-"d ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 22, 1940 UNITED S A Tas- HANDLE MECHANISM Ben F. Johnson, Connersville, lnd., asaignor to National Metal Products Company, Inc., onnerlvillc, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application April 6, 1940, Serial lilo. 328,222 8'Claims. (Cl. 16--111) Thisinvention relates to handle mechanisms, and more particularly to handle mechanisms for attachment to caskets.

The hardware attached to caskets must present a pleasing and ornamental appearance in keeping with the purpose for which the casket is designed. The present invention contemplates the provision of an improved handlemechanism, forming part of the hardware attached tothe iii-casket, wherein a lifting bar and its supporting lug members may be readily assembled together in a manner to present a highly pleasing appearance.

A further object of th invention is to provide a handle mechanism comprising a lifting bar and supporting lug members so arranged that the lifting bar and lug members may be assembledtogether and held in assembled relation by virtue of a wedge action alone.

20 Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description relating to the details of construction, as illustrated in the attached drawing, where,

Fig. 1 shows in outline form a casket equipped 25 with a handle mechanism embodying the in-,

vention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view showing the rear side of an assembly of a, lifting bar and sup-' porting lug member. 30 Fig. 3 is an end view showing the manner in which a lug member is assembled with the lifting bar. v

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the lug member and lifting bar in assembled relation.

.Fig. 5 shows an assembly of a lug member and a lifting bar of a modified construction.

Fig. 6 is a rear view of the assembly shown in Fig. 5.

Referring first to Fig. l, the casket is designated by the numeral l0 and, is provided with corner pieces ii into which the ends of lifting bar l2 extend. Lug members l3, of identical design, are attached to the sideof the casket by screws or bolts I4 and serve the purpose of supporting the lifting bar l2.

Referringnowto Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the lug member I3 is preferably a hollow cast body hav'-- ing three integral portions which I shall designate as the attaching portion I 5, the spacing portion l6 and the lifting bar receiving portion i1.

The attaching portion i5 has a face l8 which is shaped to be mounted against the side wall of the casket and is provided with holes i9 through which screws or bolts may be passed.

The spacing portion 16 extends downwardly from the attaching portion l5 and, as willhereinafter appear, is for the purpose of spacing the 5 lifting bar i 2 a sufficient distance from the easket side wall to permitaready gripof the 'lifting bar. y

The lifting bar retaining portion ll projects from the spacing portion It in a direction toward the mounting face It and thus provides in.conjunction with a projecting element 20 a seat 2| upon which the lifting bar I! may rest.

The spacing-portion It may also be provided with wings 22 having lugs extended across the bottom and top sides of the lifting bar l2. These wings are not essential to carrying forward the invention, but do assist to a certain degree in supporting and stabilizing the lifting bar. They may be incorporated to enhance the ornamental appearance of the lug member.

When assembling the handle mechanism on the casket, the lifting bar I! may be first assembled with the corner pieces II, when these are being attached to the casket. Each of the 2!! lug members I 3 is then first placed against the lifting bar as shown in Fig. 3, with the lower edge of the lifting bar resting on seat 2|, and then rotated toward. the casket side wall until it assumes the position shown' in Fig. 4. The space between the seat 2| and the wall 23 on the under side of the mounting portion [5 is such that force must be applied to rotate the lug member from the position of Fig. 3 to the position of Fig. 4. When the lug member reaches the position of Fig. 4 the lifting bar I! is wedged in the socket or recess formed by the wall 23 and the seat 2|, the lug 20'acting as a retaining member to retain the lifting bar in this wedged assembled relation. It will thus be seen that the lug member and lifting bar may be readily assembled together without the aid of screws, bolts or other fastening devices, and held inan assembled relation by virtue of a wedge action.

of the previous embodiment is replaced by an element :II which extends for the full width of the portion l1 and thus forms a rather long slot or recess constituting the lifting bar seat 2|. In addition, a rib 25 projects downwardly from the imder surface 23' of the mounting portion II and is notched at It to accommodate the upper surface of the lifting bar II.

In this modification the 1111 1118 bar and lug member are assembled in the same manner as described for the previous embodiment. It will be observed however that the notch 2 in the rib 2|, together with the slotted or recessed seat 2|, provide a socket or recess in which the lifting bar is permanently held when forced there under pressure.

From the foregoing it will be observed that my invention comprises the assembly of a lifting bar and supporting lug. member so designed as to be assembled and held together in assembled relationship by virtue of a wedge action alone, thus obviating the necessity for employing separate fastening devices.

While I have illustrated my invention by showing two preferred embodiments thereof, it is not my intention to be limited to the precise details of these embodiments. nor otherwise than required by the spirit and scone of the appended claims. 7

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentis:

a by a portion of the receiving portion embracing a portion of the lifting bar.

2. A handle mechanism, comprising, a lifting bar, and a lug member having at least two main portions, the first of which is shaped to be attached to a body to be lifted and the second of which projects from the said first portion to form therewith means to receive said lifting bar, said second portion having a lifting bar receiving recess into which the liftingbar can be manually forced and having walls which partly by wedging action and partly by embracing two sides of the lifting bar retains thelif ting bar therein in assembled relation with the lug mem- 3. A handle mechanism, comprising, a lifting bar, and a lug member having an attaching portionarrangedtobeattachedtoabodytobe lifted, a spacing portion projecting from said attaching portion and being shaped to support said lifting bar a spaced distance from said body to be lifted, and an element projecting from said last mentioned portion for defining therewith an open-sided recess into which said lifting bar may be forced by pressure applied to either the lifting bar or the lug member, or both. the walls of the recess being shaped such that the lower edge of the lifting bar is embraced on both sides while the upper edge is wedged against a wall of the recess to hold the parts assembled together.

4. A lug member for a casket handle mechanism of the bar type, comprising, an attaching portion shaped to be attached to I. body to be lifted, a spacing portion projecting from said attaching portion, and a plurality of elements projecting from said spacing portion and defining therewith a lifting bar receiving recess, said elements being so arranged that by first inserting one edge of the lifting bar in the recess and then rotating the lug member or the lifting barrelative to each other they are forced into assembled relation and held there by wedge acidea.

5. A lug member for a casket handle mechanism of the lifting bar type, comprising, an attaclrlng portion shaped to be attached to a body to be lifted, a spacing portion projecting from said attaching portion, a yet different portion projecting from said spacing portion and forming aseat for a lifting bar to rest upon, a retaining element projecting from oneside of said seat, and a wedge forming element projeding from said attaching portion and forming therewith and with said seat and retaining element a socket or recess into which a lifting bar may be forced and retained by en a ement of said retaining element and said wedge forming element with said lifting bar.

6. A iug' member for a handle mechanism, comprising, a body portion having a face shaped to mount against a normally vertical surface, said body portion curving outwardly from said face and then downwardly, a lifting bar receiving portion joined with said downwardly extending portion of the body and extending inwardly in the direction of said face and forming with the downwardly extending portion a recess or socket having surfaces shaped such that one edge of a lifting bar may be first inserted in the recessor socket and then the whole of the lifting bar forced into the recess or socket and held there by frictional engagement with one of said surfaces and by embracement by another.

'I. A handle mechanism, comprising, a lifting bar, and a lug member for attachment to a body to be lifted, said lug member comprising an attaching portion and a lifting bar receiving portion having a recess therein into which one edge of the lifting bar may be and a projection for retaining said one edge of the lifting bar in said recess, the lug member thereupon being attachable to the lifting bar by rotational movement with respect thereto, said recess being shaped to receive the lifting bar and to hold it in assembled relationship by wedge action between one side of the bar and one side of the recess and contact between another side of the bar and said projection.

8. A lug member for a handle. mechanism, comprising, a body portion having a face shaped to mount a ainst a normally vertical surface, said body portion curving outwardly and downwardly, elements projecting from said body portion to form therewith a lifting bar receiving recess or socket, the said recess or socket being shaped to first receive the lower edge of a lifting bar whereby upon rotation of the lug member with respect to the lifting bar, the upper edge of the lifting bar may be forced into wedging relationship with one wall of said socket or recess and the lower edge into retaining contact with another wall of said socket or recess.

BEN F. JOHNSON. 

